LiveAquaria.com just released a notice about June’s Limited Edition DFS Captive Grown Corals. We can all look forward to seeing Northwood’s Strawberry Shortcake on Diver’s Den shortly. This Acropora microclados looks to have a green body with brilliant pink growth tips. We can’t wait to see these frags sold and grown into colonies like the ones in this photo. Check back with us about the release of this coral.

The Blue Glow was at the Midewest Marine Conference 2010 this past week, and we took a close look at their Acrylic Frag Racks. These completely customized acrylic frag racks are attractive, and help you maximize tank space. The standard shelves fit 90 frag plugs, and with their clever construction, will not restrict flow. Since each shelf can be used as a standalone shelf, they can easily be removed fro cleaning. The Blue Glow is happy to customize shelf sizes for any application, and retailers should check these out as they make terrific displays. The “standard” unit is 4 shelves, measures 18″x17″x5.5″, accommodates 338 standard plug, and cost $89. A stackable option is also available for $54.

We spotted Aquatic Life, who’s tag line is “bringing the ocean to you, wherever you may be”, at the Midwest Marine Conference this past weekend. We had a chance to chat with co-owner Michael Elliot, and discuss the overall direction and philosophy of the company. We are very impressed by ingenuity of the Aquatic Life products, and their approach to development and design. Aquatic Life seems to be very focused on improving existing designs/models and providing hobbyists with products that perform well and are easy to use. Keep an eye on the Aquatic Life HID light fixtures, which come with the Aquatic Life HID lamps.

We ran into Randy Reed of Reef Nutrition at the Midewest Marine Conference 2010 this past weekend. Randy had a “full menu” of Reef Nutrition products on display, including their newest one, Oyster Feast. Oyster Feast – Food for Invertebrates, consists of Oyster Eggs and Ovarian Tissue (1-200 microns). It’s naturally size-appropriate for feeding SPS and LPS corals, and is highly suitable for a broad range of other invertebrates. Reef Nutrition reports that Oyster Feast, which is high in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, stays suspended in the water column while eliciting fast coral feeding response. The ovarian tissue used in Oyster Feast has all the benefits and nutritional value of the eggs, only it is delivered a a smaller particle size, down to 1 micron.

Ecoxotic‘s new PAR38 aquarium lights feature Cree high power LEDs and are available in 12,000K and 455nm Royal Blue. Each lamp is 21 watts and includes an integrated LED driver and focusing optics. This new aquarium LED light by Ecoxotic is an excellent solution for adding dramatic shimmer and color supplementation in marine reef and freshwater aquariums. The PAR38 plugs into a standard E26/E27 screw-in socket, and can easily, and inexpensively, be added to any new or existing lighting setup. Currently, these items ship for free.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency, has published a report detailing 14 known species of handfish. These creatures, crawl along the ocean floor with the help of hand-shaped pectoral fins. Ichthyologist Daniel Gledhill said “We’re still finding many species, often in areas you’d think we know quite a bit about”.

Ah, we’re back again with another great high def reef video. Check out lunch time at this famous tank. This tank is just swarming with fish trying to get their “fix”. Backsplashed with a colorful SPS infestation, this tank makes us drool every time we see it. Ok, enough reading, just watch the video!

The SMR1 Media Reactor is the result of a collaborative effort by NextReef and the US Distributor of NP BioPellets. These combined effort yielded the first media/substrate reactor specifically designed for long term use of larger media. The SMR1 is the next evolution of the MR1 Media/Substrate reactor, and is available in a 16″ (14″ reaction chamber) and a 23″ (21″ reaction chamber) verstions.

So, what’s different about the SMR1 and the SMR1 XL? This new media reactor from NextReef is designed from a thicker, stronger, cast blue acrylic designed specifically for NextReef (cooler looking too!). Asides from aesthetics, this choice was made to reduce algae, and optimize beneficial bacterial growth. The internal plenum assembly has been modified from the original design so that it does not require a sponge. Since the BioPellets (or Zeolite media) is larger, and is intended for long-term use, this new approach reduces the need for maintenance, and increases system stability. Additionally, the new design comes with larger fittings which allows for higher flow rates and reduced head pressure.

The SMR1 from NextReef can be used with large media like NP BioPellets, Zeolite Media, denitrification media, without a sponge. If you decide to run smaller media (phosphate remover, activated carbon, etc) you can simply buy a sponge from your NextReef retailer.

Just like with all NextReef products, the SMR1 Media Reactor is hand-crafter in the USA!

Ecoxotic has just released their PAR38 Aquarium LED Lights. Whether you want to light your nano tank, spot-fill dark spots in your larger tank, or highlight a particular showpiece? Well the PAR38 by Ecoxotic can be your answer. These powerful spotlights sport 5 high-power Cree LEDs with focusing lenses, delivering a bright light that brings out the colors of your corals, and produces a pleasant shimmer.

The PAR38 LED lamps are designed to fit into standard E26/E27 screw-in sockets. Ecoxotic is shipping these lamps for free, and you can save an additional 5% when ordering 3 or more